New Haven , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A court clerk at the trial of Steven Hayes , who was convicted of capital murder in a 2007 Connecticut home invasion , read Tuesday from writings of Hayes ' alleged accomplice describing the incident in graphic detail .

`` I swung again , and then again ... a look of stunned shock in his eyes , '' wrote Joshua Komisarjevsky about the nighttime attack with a bat on Dr. William Petit , who was sleeping on the porch when the attack began that July night , and proved to be the lone survivor .

Prosecutors allege Hayes and Komisarjevsky invaded the Petit home , beat Hawke-Petit 's husband bloody , strangled Hawke-Petit , set the house afire and tried to flee . The crime shocked the well-to-do New Haven suburb of Cheshire and drew national attention .

The writings , read aloud to the jury by a court clerk during Tuesday 's penalty phase of Hayes ' trial , were selected from a 40-page letter Komisarjevsky wrote to author Brian McDonald in 2008 . They describe the men moving on to the bedrooms where Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters , 17-year-old Hayley Petit and 11-year-old Michaela Petit , lay sleeping .

`` All were compliant , '' he wrote . `` This time I took a risk , pulled the trigger , and the chamber was loaded . ... The Petit family passed through their fears and into terror . ... It was captivating , validating that this pain in me was real . ... I was looking right at my personal demon , reflected back in their eyes . ... Hayley is a fighter ; she tried time and time again to free herself . ... Mr. Petit is a coward ; he ran away when he thought his life was threatened , and ran away to leave his wife and children to madmen . ... I was cheated of my retribution , and so was Steve . ... I am what I am ; I make no excuses . ... I 'm a criminal with a criminal mind . ''

Police testified that , after finding evidence of a bank account containing $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 , the two forced Hawke-Petit to go to a bank in the morning and withdraw money from the account . Prosecutors said Hayes took her to the bank while Komisarjevsky stayed behind .

When Hayes and Hawke-Petit returned with the money , the two men allegedly set the home afire and fled . Inside the home , authorities said , Hawke-Petit , 48 , was found raped and strangled . Her two daughters , one of whom had been sexually assaulted , died of smoke inhalation . Petit , the sole survivor , escaped to a neighbor 's home .

Komisarjevsky added in his writings , `` I 'm ultimately responsible for my own actions . ... Had Mr. Petit fought back in the very beginning , I would have been forced to retreat . ... You 're the first line of defense for your family , not law enforcement . ''

Petit , who was in the courtroom , showed no visible reaction as these passages were read . Afterward , outside the courthouse , he told reporters , `` I really do n't want to dignify the ravings of a sociopath who appears to be a pathological liar as well . ''

Referring to the 11-year-old , Komisarjevsky continued , `` I tasted her fear . '' After she was dead , he wrote , he took `` blackmail pictures '' of her body that he `` intended to use against Mr. and Mrs. Petit . ... What I was not prepared for was my demons getting the better of me . ''

The reading continued : `` How could I have gone oh so far , far wrong ? ... Michaela , angel of my nightmares , my pain to yours does not compare . ... You call me from beyond the grave . ... If only I could simply lie here and will myself to die . ... Michaela , Hayley , and Jennifer , forgive me ; I am damned . ... I ca n't believe I lost control ; I hate myself/I love myself . ... I stand condemned . ''

Komisarjevsky added , `` My forthcoming death sentence will be an action of mercy . ''

Prosecutors had objected to the defense 's plan to read excerpts of Komisarjevsky 's letters and journal , calling the writings `` fiction and fantasy . ''

`` It 's kind of like ` The World According to Josh , ' '' prosecutor Michael Dearington told Judge Jon Blue .

But Hayes ' attorney , Tom Ullmann , said the writings show that Komisarjevsky -- who is to be tried separately -- `` is the mastermind here ... and Mr. Hayes ' culpability is less . ''

Blue denied the prosecutors ' motion to bar the writings , saying , `` Mr. Hayes is fighting for his life at this stage , and he 's allowed great latitude . ''

Hayes , 47 , was convicted earlier this month of 16 of the 17 charges against him -- including nine counts of murder and capital murder and four counts of kidnapping -- in the deaths of Hawke-Petit and her two daughters .

After hearing testimony in the penalty phase , the same jurors who convicted Hayes must decide if he should be executed .

Earlier in the day , the writings read like a how-to manual on breaking into homes . `` My fundamental trademark is cat-type burglaries , '' Komisarjevsky wrote . `` I 'm a burglar ; everybody knows I 'm a burglar . ... You 'd be surprised what people contract me to steal . ''

`` As my skill progressed over the years , I 've reached the point where I can get into a house without any tools , only night vision , '' Komisarjevsky wrote . When he believes a home 's occupants are sleeping heavily , `` I make my way to the breaker room and start shutting down the electricity . ... I have night vision ; they have darkness . ''

Four journals were found in Komisarjevsky 's cell , testified Rafael Medina , a detective with the Connecticut State Police major crimes unit . In the journals , which were seized by authorities , Komisarjevsky discusses the Cheshire case , he said .

Medina testified that what he read in the journals led him to believe Komisarjevsky was communicating with McDonald , whom Medina described as `` a book author . '' Visitor logs showed that McDonald had visited Komisarjevsky once , he testified .

In the penalty phase , jurors are allowed to consider evidence they heard during the guilt phase of the trial . They can also consider new testimony or evidence that attorneys introduce , which might include the defendant 's long history of prior convictions and anything that casts Hayes in a positive light .

Hayes himself could testify .

The defense offered testimony Monday from witnesses who had interacted with Hayes through work , from his apartment complex or because of his drug addiction .

That testimony continued Tuesday with Philip Theeb , a building contractor who said he knew Hayes through his girlfriend and gave him work as a painter . Theeb described Hayes as a hard worker and said he loaned Hayes his truck on the weekend the attack took place , but `` on Monday morning he failed to show up . ''

He told jurors he had met Komisarjevsky before , and tried to call him after Hayes did not show up . When he first heard from the police , he said , he thought Hayes `` had done something stupid . '' When he heard what Hayes was accused of , Theeb said , he was `` shocked . ... I could n't believe it . ''

William Petit has said he will not offer a victim impact statement during Hayes ' penalty phase , saying in a statement he `` regretfully '' decided against doing so because Connecticut 's law on victim impact statements is unclear and could provide convicts with grounds to appeal their sentences .

After Wednesday , when just one witness is scheduled to testify , no testimony will occur as the judge and attorneys work on jury instructions . Testimony is to resume Monday .

@highlight

NEW : `` I swung again , and then again ''

@highlight

Portions of letter from Joshua Komisarjevsky read in court

@highlight

Defense : Komisarjevsky , who is to be tried separately , was `` the mastermind ''

@highlight

Hayes was convicted of capital murder in the 2007 home invasion